Ambassador
Dang Dinh Quy, Pamanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, has
expressed his regret at Ethiopia’s decision to expel seven senior UN officials.
Addressing
a UN Security Council meeting held on October 1 on the matter, Quy
emphasised the important role of UN agencies, including the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and other international partners in supporting
humanitarian activities in this country. The Ambassador hoped that the
Ethiopian Government and UN agencies would cooperate closely in this regard.
Given
the current context, the Vietnamese diplomat called on all relevant parties to
give the highest priority to the interests of the people, and to adhere to the
basic principles enshrined in international law and the UN Charter, Vietnam Plus reports.
He
suggested relevant parties facilitate unhindered humanitarian access and
refrain from any actions that could plunge Ethiopia into chaos.
The
Ambassador said that this is time for reconciliation and dialogue in the spirit
of goodwill and constructive manner to find a political solution to the current
situation.
Quy
also stressed the need of fully respecting Ethiopia's sovereignty, territorial
integrity and political independence.
The
meeting took place at the request of Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK
and the US. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency
Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths attended and delivered a speech at the
event.
It
followed the 30 September announcement by the Ethiopian government that seven
UN officials working in Ethiopia were declared “persona non grata” and given 72
hours to leave Ethiopian territory. In a letter sent by the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia to officials from UNICEF, OCHA, and the Office of
the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Addis Ababa accused the UN
personnel of “meddling in the internal affairs of the country”.
The
Ethiopian government’s announcement came after Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths's 28
September remarks to Reuters that a “de-facto blockade” has hindered the
delivery of aid to Tigray, allowing humanitarians to supply only 10 percent of
the necessary assistance.
According
to the news agency, the Ethiopian mission to the UN rejected claims of any
blockade and attributed the difficulties to a shortage in trucks returning from
aid delivery in Tigray.
In
the hours following the announcement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres
said that he was “shocked” by the news of the imminent expulsion. Guterres also
said that the UN was in the process of engaging with the Ethiopian government
“in the expectation that the concerned UN staff will be allowed to continue
their important work”
0 Comments